Engineer Spike wrote: Someone told me that the half position on the old pneumatic horn valves might not produce enough pressure to actuate the device, which sends the "horn blowing" signal, to the event recorder.Even on the air lever horns as well. This is a reason why some engineers really lay on the horn. Have heard of incidents of trains striking pedestrians at stations, and while witnesses say horn sounded the event recorder said it didn't because engineer went half-way on the lever so as not to blow out ear-drums of people on platform.
Laying on horn should also reset alertness device, sometimes you can hit the horn and the alerter will not reset, in such a case chances are good that the event recorder didn't record horn blowing.
Why should engineer risk his job because of poor design, maintenance of horn mechanisms or for the sake of a few decibels?
Hurry up and wait at the signal!